Ground-clamp connecter



1631288 June 71927 E. F. POTTER GROUND CLAMP CONNECTER Filed .me v. 1923Patented .lune 7, 1927.

1,631,288 Fica.

EARL F. POTTER, F GLENCOE, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNOR OF 0NEHALF T0 GEORGE W.

BODORMER, OF PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS.

GROIJ'ND-CLAMP CONNECTER'.v

Application med .Tune 7,

My invention relates to ground clamp connecters, and has to do moreparticularly With devices of this kind adapted to provide a groundconnection to a pipe or rod and so arranged that an electrical conductormay be readily attached thereto. p

An object of my invention is'to provide a device of this character,simple of construction, cheap to manufacture, and readily installed. Oneof the features of my invention is a clamp which may be readily slippedover a pipe or rod from the side, after which a bridge plate is snappedacross the clip and provided with a clamping screw for tightening theclip on the pipe, the constructionl being such that the connecter may bereadily attached to the pipe and removed therefrom.

Another feature of my invention is the provision of a device of theabove character having a series of locking elements, so that the sameconnecter maybe used for embracing pipes or rods of various diametersand readily applied thereto from' the side.

AFor a. better understanding of my invention reference Ais to be had tothe accompanying drawing, in-which Fig. l is a perspective View of theforn of my invention having a single locking 3o element, and in whichthe connecter may be secured to pipes varying in diameters Within therange of the length of the clamping screw;

F ig. 2 is a side elevation of the connecter attached to a pipe;

F ig.'3 is a lan view of the strap of the connecter of `igs. l and 2,before it is formed up to embrace the pipe; and

Fig. 4 shows the strap with a plurality ,o of locking elements adaptedfor a wide range of sizes of pipes.

Referring now more in detail to the form of my invention as shown inFigs. 1 to 3, I provide a strap element 5, preferably of a exible metalso that it may bey readily bent round into a U-shape to be slipped overa pipe as indicated in Fig. 2. The construction is preferably such thatthe strap may be slipped Vover the pipe from the side, the 0 advantageofthis being that it is frequently necessary to secure a ground connectionto a pipe inaccessible from its ends, so that the connecter must beslipped over the side of4 the pipe and not over the end. An suit- 5 ablemetal may be employed for this pur- 1923. serial No. 643,892..

pose and I nd soft steel, copper plated, or copper, very suitable forthis purpose.

In order to secure the clip to the pipe I employ a bridge plate 6adaptedto lock across the legs of the clip, and to this end I providecooperating holes' and locks on the parts, preferably placing the holes7 in the strap in the form of a T-shape so that'the T heads 8 of thebridge plate may be inserted through the wide portion of the slot 7 andslip up into the narrow portion so as to lock against separation. Thebridge plates 6 are preferably of metal and of a heavy enough metal tostand the strain of a clamping screw 9, which is threaded through theplate and has a pair of nuts 10-11 thereon, one of which acts as a locknut for the screw and the other for 'clamping the. end of the conductorl2 to the ground clamp.

The screw 9 is preferably of such a length that a strap 5 with a singleset of locking elements 7 may be used on pipes or rods within a range ofdiameters which will not require too great a length of screw.

In applying the connecter to a pipe the strap 5, which may be carried instock flat as shown in Fig. 3, is readily formed so as to embrace thepipe as shown in Fig. 2, and then the bridge plate 6 is snapped intoplace. The strap 5 is readily bendable so that it may be readily shapedori bent in or out to take and hold the plates 6. The screw 9 is thenthreaded through the plate 6 until the clip is tight enough around thepipe to maintain its position, the end of the screw 9 being pointedsuticiently so that it will enter or clean oli' the surface of the pipesufiiciently to provide a good contact. The lock nut l1 is then turnedto lock the screw in the plate, after which the conductor which is to beattached to the ground clamp may be readily applied and held by the nutl0.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a simple, cheap but effectiveground clamp connecter, Whlch may be readily applied` to a pipe or rod;one which willcenter itsel'f and insure a direct pressure contact andmaintain its position where placed.

Also, it may be readily removed or changed when desired. I

As already pointed out, another feature of my invention is that it maybeconstructed so as to be used on pipes of a great rality of locking holes7, these holes being punched out aiong the strap and used according tothe diameteroi the pipe to which the connecter is to be applied.

For the purpose of illustration l have shown several 'forms of myinvention, but i'. appreciate that changes and inodiications will readiloccur to those skilled in the art, and t ere'ore li do not desire to belimited to the exact structures shown and described but aim to cover allthat which cornes Within the' spirit and scope of the appended claims,

What ll claim as new and desire to secure by -United States LettersPatent is:

' l. A ground clamp connecter oi? the cbaracter described comprising aHexible metal strip formed into a lj sbape'to embrace a pipeior anelectrical connection, a bridge piece said strip and bridgeE piecehaving interlocking l eads and -holes for removably securing the bridgepiece to the strip across the o en end so as to be laterally ap licableto anV removable from the pipe, an a clamping screvv for securelyholding the strip and bridge ieee in electrical convvitb tlie pipe emraced.

2. A ground clamp connecter of the char'- ecter described comprising aflexible metal strip formed into a il shape to embrace a pipe 'or anelectrical connection, a bridge e Tebaped locking end, sai

ueenaee strip having T-sbaped locking holes for removably securing thebridge piece to the strip across the open end so as to be laterallyapplicable to and removable from the pipe, and a clamping screw carriedby the bridge piece 'for tightening the clip around the pille v 3. Aground clamp of the character described comprising a dexible metal strapformed into a U shape clip to embrace a pipe for an electricalconnection and havingy holes through the ends of the legs, a bridgeplate having T-shaped ends for locking insertion in said holes byspringing the ends of the clip outwardly and then over tbe bridge plateends to hold the parts together, and means for clamping the clip andplate upon the pipe.

4. A. ground clamp connecter comprising anormally longitudinal latflexible metal strap adapted to be shaped forernbracing pipes ofdifferent diameters, and having a series of irregular shaped holdingopenings, and a stiff llat plate for bridging the strap 1naving lockingshaped beads cooperable with the proper opening depending upon thediameter of the pipe einbracedfand arranged to permit adjustment of thestrap towards' the pipe, and clamping means for tightening the strap onthe pipe.

In Witness whereof, il hereunto subscribe my naine this 10th day of MayA. D., 1923.

EARL PUTTER.

